Recruiters often ask, “What motivates employees?” to brainstorm effective ways to communicate with candidates. But motivation isn’t only important for prospective employees—it’s an everyday incentive for current employees, too.

Understanding what motivates you provides insight into why you’re in your current position and options to move forward. On top of that, knowing what motivates your colleagues could help strengthen work relationships and positively impact the office environment. Plus, knowing how your colleagues tick means you know how best to ask for help when needed—and how best to thank them.

I mean it! Every few days, I peruse the careers pages of The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, Time, etc., to see current hot topics in job searches, company culture and business etiquette. Keeping abreast of career oriented topics isn’t just helpful for those looking for jobs or hoping to move their career to the next level, it provides insight for daily job performance.

Personally, I wouldn’t necessarily think about how my habits at home may affect my job performance if I didn’t read articles about it. And the variety of subjects covered may give you a new perspective at work. For instance, even if you haven’t already made the career move to management, articles on that topic could help you better manage your time, interact with coworkers and remember challenges your manager has. So, while not everything you might read in a careers article may apply to you, keeping the topics they discuss front of mind may help you develop a fuller, more insightful career in the long term.

When preparing for a job interview, a lot of worry can go into figuring out potential questions—which is completely justified. It’s very important to thoroughly prepare. However, asking yourself what questions you might not have to answer could be equally important.

A lot goes on behind the scene in a job interview, and many employers likely have criteria they’re looking for but that isn’t explicitly mentioned in their questions. So before your interview, we suggest asking yourself the following (and anything similar you might think of):

What is the ideal job candidate—and would I truly fit that role?

Are there job skills related the employer wants, but didn’t list?

What are qualities I share with other potential candidates?

From The Chicago Tribune: "If I were the hiring manager, why would I hire this person over the others who applied?"

Thinking about the unspoken questions can help you get in the mindset of an interviewer. It can also help you decide if the job in question is something you want, as reflecting on company culture and other candidates may give you a better idea than a job post.